Flash light



Aug. 7, 1934. w. J. OFFICER ET AL FLASH LIGHT Filed Feb. 4. 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l m VEI\ TORS, W'sle J Officer; 510% 25. W7;

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TTORNEY.

Aug. 7, 1934. w. J. OFFICER ET AL FLASH LIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4. 1933 INVENTORJI Marie :1 01%2 6 BY Z 6.72 Skew;

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES FLASH LIGHT Wesley J. Ofiicer and Blake Allen Seaver, Springfield, Ma ss., assignors to Blake Manufacturing Corporation, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 4, 1933, Serial No. 655,170

4 Claims. (01. 240-10159) with a lamp secured in the casing and electrically connected to the battery, or batteries, through a suitable switch and electric circuits.

An object of our invention is to provide means, in such a flash light, for instantaneously chang- 0 ing the type of light beam, thrown by the flash light from a concentrated beam, or spotlight, to a diffused light, or floodlight, or vice versa; it being understood that the switch is then in a position to close the electric circuit.

A further object of our invention is to accomplish the purpose set forth in the above paragraph, with means entirely independent of the electric circuits and the normal construction and features of the flash light, so that the type of light beam emitted by the flash light may be changed, without altering, in any way, the relative positions of the various electric circuit members, the switch members, or the lamp, reflector, hood, and easing members.

These, and other objects and advantages of our invention, will be more completely described and set forth in the specification, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

Broadly, our invention comprises a battery-enclosing casing of suitable material, a hood removably secured on the casing, a lens ring removably secured in the hood, a lens and reflector secured in the lens ring, a battery, or batteries, removably secured in the casing, a lamp fixedly secured in the casing, a translucent, cylindrical, light-diffusing sleeve member that is slidably secured in the casing and within which said lamp, is fixedly secured, a switch mechanism secured on the casing, suitable electric connections between the battery, or batteries, the lamp, and the switch, and means slidably secured on the casing for moving the translucent, light-diffusing sleeve member forward and backward, relative to the lamp, whereby the rays from the lamp may be floodlight, or vice versa.

A preferred embodiment -of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

' Fig. 1 is an elevational view of our flash light,

5 showing the housingon which the switch button and the light-diffusing sleeve member and the control button are slidably secured. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating the general construction of the flash light, the switch mechanism, the electric circuit, and the difiusing sleeve member located over thelamp.

' Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the end cap and hanger loop, or hook, for the flash light.

Fig. 4 is a partial, sectional view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the difiusing sleeve member, lamp, and other co-operating parts, and the means for operating, or moving, the diffusing sleeve member.

Fig. 5 is a partial, cross, sectional view through the. housing member and casing on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross, sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail, elevational view of the fibre disc, or plate, which forms a support for the lamp and a bearing for the diffusing sleeve member.

Fig. 8 is a detail, elevational view of the metal contact plate, secured to the back of the fibre supporting plate, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the translucent, cylindrical difiusing sleeve member.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout:

The battery-enclosing casing-member 1 has, removably secured thereto at one end, the closure cap member 2, by means of the threads 3 and 4, and at the opposite end, the hood member 5, which is removably secured to the casing member' 1 by means of the threads 6 and 7.

The lens, or bezel ring member 8, is removably secured to the hood 5, by means of the threads 9 and 10. The slotted switch housing member 11 is secured to the casing 1, by means of the eyelets 12. The end closure cap 2 has pivotally secured, on its outer face at 13 and 14, the flash light hanger member 15, which is formed with the converging side portions 16 and 17, and at its outer end, the comparatively narrow loop portion 18. Within the end cap 2, are removably secured the cup member 19 and the battery terminal contact spring 20. A spring clip 21 is secured in the cup member for holding the spare lamp 22. Secured at the opposite end of the casing member 1, is the insulating fibre 1 the lip, or flange 25, that is spun over the edge of the fibre plate 23.

The metallic contact disc 26 is suitably secured to the fibre disc 23, and the U-shaped bridge member 27 is also suitably secured to the metallic disc 26 and to the fibre disc 23, and insulated from the metallic disc 26, by fibre washers 28. (See Fig. 6.) The batteries 29 are removably secured in the casing 1, between the contact spring 20 and the metallic bridge member 27. The lens 30 and reflector 31 are removably secured in the lens ring 8. The electric bulb, or lamp 32, is threadedly secured in the tubular, threaded shell, or member 33, which is, in turn, secured to the fibre plate 23 and metallic disc 26, by means of the bead 34 and spun flange 35. The contact strip 36, which is secured between the bridge 27 and fibre washer 28, serves to electrically connect the bridge '27 and lamp terminal 37.

Referring now to the housing member 11, the switch button 38 is slidably secured in one-half of the housing 11, and the lamp difiusing sleeve member and control button 39 is slidably secured in the other half of the housing member 11. The switch button 38 is secured to the contact spring 40 within the housing 11. The metallic contact strip 41 is secured to the fibre strip 42, by means of eyelets-43 and 43, and the fibre strip 42 is secured to the casing 1, by means of eyelets 44; thus the fibre strip 42 insulates the strip 41 from the casing 1. The opposite end of the strip 41 is formed with the bent end portion 45, whichis fitted into the recess 46, formed in the metallic disc 26. Temporary contact is secured by pushing the button 38 forward and downward, until the end 47 of the spring 40 engages the eyelet 43. Continuous contact is secured by pushing the button 38 still further forward, until the end 48 of the spring 40 rests on the eyelet 43'. The electric circuit is thus completed, or closed, as follows: from lamp terminal 37 to strip 36, bridge 2'7, batteries 29, spring 20, cap 2, metallic casing 1, housing 11, spring 40, eyelet 43 or 43' to strip 41, plate 28, tubular screw shell 33, lamp casing 49 to the lamp filament and thence to lamp terminal 37.

A translucent, cylindrical light-difi'using sleeve member 50 is formed with the rearwardly extending segmental arms 51, which are slidably secured in the arcuate slots 52, formed in the fibre disc, or plate 23. Similar slots 53 are formed in the metallic disc 26. A U-shaped bracket member 54 is secured to the arms 51 by eyelets 55 and is, in turn, secured to one end of the fibre strip 56, by means of eyelets 57. The strip 56,'near its opposite end, is secured to the bridge member 58, by eyelets 59 projecting through slots 60, formed in the casing 1. The diffusing sleeve member and control button 39 is secured to the bridge 58. Between the bridge 58 and button 39, is secured the spring plate member 61, which serves to cover the opening 62, formed in the housing 11. Lugs 63 and 64 are formed near the ends of the plate 61 and snap into position, impinging against the edges 65 and 66 of the opening 62, to prevent accidental movement of the button 39. Thus, by moving the button 39 forward from the position, shown in Fig. 4, in the direction of the arrow 87, the diffusing sleeve member 50 is moved forward from the full line position, shown in Fig. 4, to the dotted line position, shown in the same figure, and also. shown in full lines in Fig.

flash light, from the spotlight, to a'difiused,

or floodlight. Movement of the button 39, from forward position to rear position, reverses the result, changing the light beam from floodlight to spotlight.

In operation, the button 39 is set in rearward position, the switch operated to close the electric circuit, and the spotlight properly focused, by turning the hood 5 on the casing 1, thus altering the relative positions of the lamp 32 and reflector 31. After once being properly focused, the hood 5 is not again moved.

It will be readily understood, from this description, that. operation of the light difiusing sleeve member is "entirely independent of the electrical circuits and contact members, and that the switch button and diflusing sleeve member and control button are operable independently of each other. Movement of thediifusing sleeve member and control button, in a forward direction, will instantly change the light beam from spot to flood, as indicated on the housing 11, while, if the diffusing sleeve member and control button is adjusted for a floodlight, movement in a rearward direction will instantly change the light beam from flood to spot.

What we claim is:- I

1. Means for diffusing the rays of light from the bulb of a flashlight comprising a slidable finger actuating member, a fiber-supporting disc formedwith annular slots a slotted tubular diffusing sleeve member slidably secured in the slots of said supporting disc, operative connecting means between the tubular diffusing sleeve member and the said actuating member, the construction and arrangement being such that the said diffusing member may be moved over the bulb or withdrawn therefrom.

2. In a flash light, having a battery enclosing casing, a bulb, a switch, electrical connections between the same, movable means for difiusing the rays of light emitted by the bulb, comprising a tubular translucent member, a housing, a slidable finger piece in the housing, a bar connected to the finger piece, a U-shaped piece connecting the said translucent member and the bar, the diffusing member being normally retracted from the bulb but movable over the-bulb when the finger piece is operated, and means connected to the finger piece for retaining it in its adjusted positions.

3. In combination in a flash light, a metallic battery-enclosing casing, a bulb, a battery, a housing on said casing, a switch in said housing,

circuit means between the bulb, the battery, and

the switch, a disc of insulating material secured in said casing and formed with a plurality of arcuate slots, a screw shell secured on said disc in which said bulb is removably supported, a translucent sleeve member movable axially of the casing over the bulb, said sleeve member being formed with a plurality of rearwardly extending arcuate arms which are slidably secured in the slots in said disc, 9. thumb piece slidably secured in said housing independent of said switch, and operative connecting means between the thumb piece and the arcuate arms of the sleeve member, whereby the sleeve member may be drical translucent cylinder member slidably supported on said fiber disc, a pair of push buttons slidably secured in said housing, operative connecting means between one of said buttons and said switch, and operative connecting means between the other of said buttons and said translucent cylinder, whereby said cylinder may be moved to enclose said electric bulb.

WESLEY J. OFFICER.

BLAKE ALLEN SEAVER. 

